Darkened Spark
by Sidekicks-anonymous
Summary: Things are looking up for Bumblebee's team: they've gained new allies, captured dozens of convicts, and Sideswipe is slowly patching things up with his guardian. But all of that is threatened when an old foe is released and Knockout is forced to face the consequences of his past. Will the team be able to defeat this danger? Or will it consume them? Sequel to Hardened Sparks
1. Unearthed

_The prison ship burned like a massive firework as it fell through the atmosphere. To the bots inside, frantically trying to keep the ship in one piece, it was life-threatening chaos. But to the inhabitants of Earth, it was merely a speck of light shooting across the sky. People pointed and_ ahh _ed as the white flash streaked through the atmosphere. They gasped as more tiny lights shot off from the main one, like fireflies emerging from their nest. The lights, large and small, petered out one by one as they neared the planet's surface, eventually landing near a gleaming city._

 _One of the lights arced a bit farther than the others. The wind rushing over it extinguished the flames, leaving only a dull cylinder of metal plummeting through the air. It slammed into the side of a mountain, dirt and rocks exploding in a shower around it. Its impact crumbled the rocky slope, sending a wave of debris over the object. When the dust settled, nothing was visible of the pod. It sat slowly cooling, completely hidden from view by the remains of the landslide. And so it remained until many weeks later, when the wind and the rain finally eroded enough of the detritus to expose a corner of the scorched metal._

 _An unfortunate happening—for some things are better left buried._

* * *

Steeljaw heaved another boulder aside. "Hurry up! Before the Autobots detect it!"

"Ah'm goin' as fast as Ah can!" Underbite growled, but he began clearing the debris with renewed vigor.

Clampdown watched them from the ground, scuttling from side to side in his excitement. "I done good, didn't I, Boss?" He asked eagerly. "Ain'tcha happy with me, huh?!"

"Yes, yes; well done, Clampdown." Steeljaw snapped. Normally, he'd be a bit more generous with his praise, but they were working on a time crunch. It was pure luck that Clampdown had discovered this pod. The landslide that had buried it had likely shielded its signal from the Autobots, but the longer they took to unearth it, the more likely it was that their enemies would discover them. And they could _not_ afford to lose an ally. In the past weeks, several Autobots had arrived and joined forces with Bumblebee's team. If Steeljaw and his pack wanted to accomplish their goal of a Decepticon planet, they needed all the help they could get.

At last, the pod's door was cleared. Steeljaw studied the locking mechanism as Clampdown circled the pod curiously.

"This don't look like a normal stasis pod," he remarked, tapping the metal with a pincer. Steeljaw had to agree. Unlike the other pods on the _Alchemor_ , this one lacked a window in the front—it was solid metal all the way around. The seams were reinforced with metal strips, and from the sound it made when Clampdown tapped it, the plating was much thicker than usual. If normal stasis pods were jail cells, this one was a bunker—built to withstand anything. The lock, unfortunately, was designed that way as well.

"Problem?" Clampdown asked as he saw Steeljaw scowling.

"This is a biometric lock. It requires a specific spark signature to open. Only the highest-risk prisoners get locked up like this."

"Can you crack it?"

"I don't need to." Steeljaw stepped back and snapped his finger at their resident Chompazoid. "Underbite, if you please—"

Underbite grinned. He chomped down on the pod with gusto. The metal creaked as it resisted the pressure, but few things could stand up to a Chompazoid's jaws. Within a few minutes, Underbite had torn a sizeable chunk out of the pod's door. Cryogenic gases bubbled out of the hole, dissipating as they met the outside air. Steeljaw waved the fog away and peered inside the pod. A grin spread across his face.

"Gentlemen," he announced. "We've found a sister."

"A femme? Really?!" Clampdown scuttled closer, pushing back Underbite's massive head as they both crowded around the pod.

It was, indeed, a femme. She lay unmoving in the pod. Gold and black armor fit over a purple protoform, the slim build suggesting an affinity for speed and grace. Everything about her was sharp—from the shape of her face to the many pointed edges of her armor, to the spikes that adorned her helm. Even the decorative triangles painted under her optics seemed sharp, like black blades spearing downwards. If her demeanor matched her appearance at all, she would make a fine addition to their pack.

"What are those stick things?" Clampdown asked, pointing.

"I believe they're extra arms. Or legs, perhaps—part of her alt-mode." The thin, jointed appendages sprouting from her back did resemble a spider's legs. Steeljaw began cutting the restraints that bound them. "And that pretty collar around her neck is a stasis inducer. They clearly weren't taking any chances with this one."

"You want I should get it off?" Clampdown asked, claws clicking in anticipation. He snipped through the silver metal as easily as cutting paper. A tremor ran through the femme's frame as he removed it. Her optics lit up with a dull violet glow.

"There we are," Steeljaw leaned in, smiled charmingly. "Hello, sister."

The femme's gaze flitted over them. She let out a low hiss. "Where… am…I?"

"You're among friends." Steeljaw purred, cutting the last of her restraints. "The ship we were imprisoned on crashed. We freed ourselves and have been gathering our Decepticon brethren."

The femme sat up slowly, rubbing her joints. She had a far-off look in her optics. "Decepticons…"

"Victims of the Autobots' tyranny. We plan to make this planet our own, a home where all Decepticons can live in peace." Steeljaw held out his hand. "We ask you now, sister—will you join our cause?"

The femme was silent. Suddenly in a blur of motion, her hand latched around Steeljaw's neck cables. He choked as she pulled him up to her face. She smiled wickedly, revealing pointed teeth.

"I hope there are _lots_ of you here." She hissed, her optics flaring brighter. 'I'm hungry."

* * *

 **Behold! The long-awaited (by some...maybe) sequel to _Hardened Sparks_! I hope it lives up to expectations. I'll try to update every other week, so set your calendars. And leave a review-constructive criticism is helpful. :)**

 **Also, thanks to my friend journal129 for beta-reading.**


	2. Deal

Steeljaw's instincts kicked in. His claws raked across the femme's face almost of their own accord. She released him with a snarl. He scrambled away from her as fast as he could, motioning madly for the others to get away. Unecessarily, of course—they'd backed off at the first sign of trouble.

"You'll pay for that!" The femme shrieked. She began dragging herself out of the pod.

"Retreat! Retreat!" Steeljaw transformed and drove away, followed closely by his comrades. In his rearview mirror, he saw the femme transform, her legs folding up into a carapace so she looked like a spider with a torso. And her face—her jaw had split open and a cable was snaking out, like a cyber-viper's tongue tasting the air. Steeljaw had never seen anything like it, but it chilled him to his spark.

" _Go_!" He pushed himself faster as the spider-femme gave chase. A white blur shot past him and splattered against a tree, covering the trunk in sticky ropes. There was another splatting sound behind him and Clampdown yelped.

"Boss! I'm hit!" Clampdown cried. Steeljaw glimpsed him in his mirrors. The crab's rear axle was covered with webby gunk. His gummed-up wheels slowed him to a crawl. The spider-femme was fairly far behind, but was rapidly closing the distance.

Steeljaw made his decision in an instant. No point in risking all of them to save one.

"Your sacrifice will be remembered, Clampdown!" The silver mech called as he sped up.

"Wait! Don't leave me!" Clampdown screamed as he watched his teammates disappear. He could hear the creepy spider lady behind him, crashing through the underbrush. His vents became sharp and panicked.

" _Wait!_ " He forced a transformation, joints screeching as they fought the webbing. Clampdown hobbled forward, using his pincers to drag himself along. The crashing was getting louder. Another glob of webbing smacked the ground next to him and he hurried on with renewed vigor.

"Leave me alone! I didn't do nothin' to ya!" The crab stumbled through the trees in blind panic. He shrieked as something struck him. The force sent him tumbling head over heels. He landed on his back—the worst possible position. His tiny legs wiggled in the air as he frantically tried to right himself. The crashing behind him was getting closer. The femme was almost here. He was going to die. Slag, he was going to die.

"Don't kill me!" Clampdown screamed in desperation. Bargaining had always saved his spark before. Please let it save him now. "You need me! I can help you, I'll do anything _if you just let me live_!"

He squeaked as a dark shape appeared above him. He threw his pincers in front of him like a shield and waited for the killing blow.

A moment passed. Then two. After a while, Clampdown realized he wasn't dead yet. He peeked one of his eye-stalks over his shield and yelped again as a pair of violet optics filled his vision. He could see hunger in the femme's optics, like a fire wanting to consume everything in its path. But she hadn't killed him yet…so maybe he had a chance.

"P—please don't kill me…" He whispered.

"Shut up." The femme snapped. The hunger in her optics flared, but she remained motionless, staring at him appraisingly. "I'm hungry, and you're a useless pathetic midget. What help could you possibly give me besides a good meal?"

Clampdown felt paralyzed by her gaze, but his survival instinct managed to break through it. "Well, I—I'm just a little guy, see? Not much of a meal. You'd be hungry again in a cycle." He gulped. "B-but I know where there's other bots. Lots of 'em. And they're Autobots, so it's better to go after them, right?"

Surprise replaced the hunger for a second. "There are Autobots on the planet?" She asked. "Who? Optimus' team?"

Clampdown shook his head. "N-no… but Bumblebee's here. You know, _the_ Bumblebee?

The femme arched her eyebrow ridges. "Optimus's little scout?"

"Uh-huh! And a whole buncha others!" Clampdown yammered, eager to keep her talking. "There's a Dinobot and a couple younglings and a bounty hunter and—hey," he said slyly, suddenly getting an idea. "They've got a bunch of prisoners in stasis bots. Big bruiser bots. If you eat bots, they're like, ready-made meals. I'll take you to 'em and you can eat to your spark's content. Eh?"

The femme looked contemplative. Clampdown cringed as one of her spider legs lowered, the talon on the end gleaming viciously. _She's gonna skewer me… this is it!_ He thought, trembling. But no—to his surprise, the talon sliced through the webbing gluing him to the ground. The femme tipped him back onto his feet. He stood motionless, pinned under her gaze. Those violet optics burned like the fires of the Pit.

"Perhaps you can be of use to me." She said with a smirk. Clampdown shivered, wondering what he'd gotten himself into.

* * *

The alarm screeched through the junkyard, shattering what had previously been a peaceful afternoon.

Bumblebee ran to the command center. "Fix-it! What's the problem?"

"I don't know! The alarm just went off!" Fix-it typed at the keypad furiously. "I've never seen this alert before!"

"Will someone turn off that cacophony?!" Knockout demanded as he arrived at the console. The rest of the team followed close behind him—Drift coming up last, as usual. The bounty hunter had only decided to join them last week and he still hadn't completely integrated into the group. Bee hoped that would change soon. Perhaps this newest alarm, whatever had caused it, would give them a chance for some team-building work.

The alarm cut off suddenly, leaving everyone's audials ringing. "Got it!" Fix-it cried with relief. He began scrolling through the pop-ups that had appeared on the console's display.

"Is it a 'Con signal?" Sideswipe asked.

"I'm not sure—ah, here we go!" Fix-it frowned as he studied the display. "Hmm…it's an alert for one of the stasis pods being compromised."

"Wait, you have those? Why haven't we gotten alarms for any other stasis pods?"

"This was for a 'Priority One' prisoner." Fix-it's frown deepened. "Oh dear—only the most dangerous bots get that ranking! And now this one's free!"

"Fix-it," Bee interjected before the minicon could panic himself into a systems failure. "Does the alert say who the prisoner is?"

"Oh! Um, yes." At a prompt from Fix-it, the prisoner manifest activated and scrolled to an entry. As the picture of the convict appeared, Bumblebee froze. He heard a sharp intake from Knockout. It couldn't be… not her.

"But—that's impossible!" The medic protested. "She's dead!"

"You know this femme?" Drift questioned. Bee and Knockout glanced at each other. Even without the name emblazoned on the manifest entry, that spider-like form was unmistakable.

"Airachnid," Knockout hissed.


	3. Regrets

Silence hung over the team. The image of the screen rotated slowly, making at look as if the spider-like femme was sneering at each of them in turn.

"Who's Airachnid?" Sideswipe finally asked.

"She's a glitch, that's what she is." Knockout growled. The hatred on his face was unnerving to Sideswipe.

"She was a rogue Decepticon who briefly acted as Megatron's second-in-command, before she tried to stab him in the back." Bumblebee elaborated. "But I thought she was dead. Fixit, what's her file say?"

"Um, one moment." The minicon scrolled through the file's information. "As you said, a former Decepticon officer. She was picked up Luna-2 about a decade after the war. She displayed an infectious mutation that made her especially dangerous. After her capture, she was turned over to the Cybertron Science Guild for study. She was being transported to an off-planet research facility when the Alchemor crashed."

"Wait—an _infectious_ mutation?" Knockout asked.

"Yes. There's a summary here." Fixit explained. "It looks like she burns through energon at a faster rate than average—so fast, in fact, that she can't process regular energon properly. She has to feed off the already-processed energon of living bots. Moreover, the mutation spread to anyone she fed off of."

"Like a vampire!" Russell piped up from where he stood on the sidelines. Bumblebee's attention, however, was drawn to Knockout. The look on his face was unmistakable. It was the expression of a child who's just been caught breaking the window.

"Scrap," the medic hissed, rubbing his face. "Not this again…"

Bumblebee eyed him. "Sounds like you know something about this, Knockout. Care to enlighten us?"

Knockout sighed. "First of all, I'd like to point out that it was Starscream's idea. I tried to talk him out of it, but you know he never listens—"

"Less blaming, more explaining."

"Well… In the latter end of the war, I was doing some experiments with synthetic energon." Knockout said with some hesitation. "I found that repeated doses caused faster energy consumption, as well as heightened aggression—turned bots into berserkers. When I told Starscream, he suggested adding dark energon to the mix—"

" _What?!_ " Bee cried. "You put dark energon in Airachnid?!"

"No! I put it in Silas!" Knockout stared at the ground, recalling the experiment. "The idea was to give Megatron a way to control the berserkers, but—as I warned Starscream—it went horribly wrong. We lost a third of our Vehicons to the infection. Silas must have infected Airachnid during his rampage."

Bumblebee pinched the bridge of his nose. "You created energon vampires and you never thought to mention this to the Autobots?"

"I thought they were gone! We killed all the ones on the Nemesis and Megatron mopped up the infected Insecticons—"

"There are vampire Insecticons, too?!"

"Hey!" The small human voice drew everyone's attention. Russell folded his arms and gave them his best commanding look. "It sounds like there's a long story here, but can we focus on the fact that there's a robot vampire running loose?"

Bumblebee took a deep vent. He couldn't lose his cool; solutions didn't come to a frenzied mind. "Russell's right. Knockout, you know what we're going up against. What should we be watching out for?"

"Don't let her bite you," Knockout responded instantly. "If she bites you, you become like her. The mutation makes her stronger and faster, but it also makes her desperately hungry. She might not be as cunning as usual, but she'll make up for it in sheer ferocity—she'll do whatever it takes to eat. When you fight her, aim for the spark chamber. Destroying it is the only way to kill her."

"Hold on! We're not killing anyone!" Strongarm interrupted. "Our mission is to capture, not kill."

"Your mission didn't involve Airachnid before." Knockout retorted.

"Regulations state that lethal force is only authorized if—"

"Slag the regulations!" Knockout shouted. "She should have been killed as soon as they found her! She deserves to die!"

The venom in his voice was enough to make everyone cringe. Sideswipe stared at his guardian in shock. He'd never seen Knockout so angry before.

"That's enough, Knockout." Bumblebee silenced his objections with a look. "Lethal force is a last resort, in all cases. We need to take Airachnid down, but we can do it without killing. In any case, we need to find her now before she starts causing trouble.

The team nodded solemnly.

"I'll examine her file," Fixit offered. "She might have a preferred type of terrain or shelter that will narrow down our search."

"Good. Everyone else, gather your gear and meet back here in ten minutes." Bee instructed. His teammates scattered to do as he ordered. He left Fixit to his work to get his own weapons. To his chagrin, Knockout followed.

"I'm not listening to your arguments, Knockout." Bee snapped before the medic could start talking. "We're not killing Airachnid unless we run out of options."

"Killing her _is_ the only option," Knockout muttered. "But clearly you're not going to listen to me."

"Nope." Bumblebee strapped his Decepticon Hunter to his hip and turned to face the medic. "Besides, I'm not sure justice is your only motivation here."

Knockout's face scrunched up in distaste. Bumblebee knew what the spider had done. He knew Knockout still held a grudge against her. But there were more pressing matters than vengeance. "Old grudges aside, I don't think the whole team should go on this mission."

"What? Why not?"

"You know how dangerous Airachnid is. The younglings aren't prepared to face her. It'd be best if only the experienced fighters went after her."

Bumblebee gave Knockout a piercing gaze. "You don't want Sideswipe to go." It was a statement, not a question.

Knockout glanced aside, his reticence confirming Bumblebee's suspicions. "As I said—the younglings aren't prepared to face her. She's made scrap metal of more experienced soldiers. You, me, Drift—we have a better chance of defeating her if we don't have to worry about protecting them."

Bumblebee frowned. Knockout had an ulterior motive, of course, but he also had a point. As far as Strongarm and the others had come, they were still green when it came to combat. One mistake against Airahcnid could mean their death—or, under the circumstances, their undeath. And besides that... he knew what Airachnid had done to Breakdown. He couldn't blame Knockout for wanting his sparkling to stay as far from the femme as possible.

"You're right." Bumblebee agreed. "We should leave some bots here to guard the junkyard anyway."

He noticed Knockout's shoulders sag in relief before the mech hitched them up again. "Good thinking. Cover our bases."

Bumblebee walked back to the command center, Knockout at his side. The shadow of a smirk played across his face as he thought of something. "Since it was your idea—you can be the one to tell them."

* * *

Knockout's news was not well received.

"You can't do this to me again!" Sideswipe cried.

"Regulations state that senior officers must have back-up at all times—"

"I wanna punch somebody!" Grimlock whined.

Bumblebee waited for the complaints to die down. When they didn't, he gave a shrill whistle. "The decision's been made," he declared, staring down each of his allies. "Drift, Knockout, and I will catch Airachnid. Everyone else will guard the base. Final word, no arguments. Got it?"

Strongarm and Grimlock grumbled, but they nodded in understanding. Sideswipe, however, wasn't about to give in.

"Knockout talked you into this, didn't he?" Sideswipe jabbed an accusing finger at his guardian. "I can help, Bee! I'm one of the best fighters on the team! You can't make me stay behind just 'cause Protectobot here is afraid I'll get my paint scratched—"

"What part of no arguments didn't you understand, Sideswipe?" Bumblebee shot him a glare. "Keep talking and I'll make you clean the waste disposal bins while we're gone."

Sideswipe closed his mouth, but he remained sullen. He gave his guardian a pouting glare, which Knockout ignored.

"If that's settled, let's get going. Ready, Drift?"

"One moment." Drift deployed his minicons before transforming. "Jetstorm, Slipstream, help guard the base."

"But master!—" Jetsotrm was silenced by a glare form the bounty hunter. How Drift could manage to glare in vehicle mode, Bee didn't know, but it was sure effective. The minicons bowed submissively. "Yes, master." They said in unison.

Bumblebee transformed. "Autobots, roll out!" He rumbled toward the gates, Drift close behind. Knockout started off, but Sideswipe grabbed his shoulder.

"This isn't over," the youngling said, glaring daggers at him. "When you get back—"

He was cut off as Knockout seized his shoulder and dragged him into one of the aisles. The older mech spun him around, giving him the patented angry-parent face. Sideswipe wasn't cowed, though.

"I'm not a sparkling anymore—" Sideswipe started.

"I know. You continually remind me of that fact." Knockout stared him in the optic. "Do you remember Breakdown?"

"The guy you used to tell me stories about? What's he got to do with this?"

"Who do you think killed him?"

Sideswipe froze. "You said it was another…Decepticon…" His optics widened as he made the connection.

Knockout nodded. "Airachnid was the one who killed him. And now she's here. Closer to you than I ever would have wanted."

Sideswipe was stunned into silence. He'd grown up hearing stories of his guardian's best friend. Breakdown had meant a lot to Knockout. And now his murderer was here…no wonder Knockout had gotten so angry.

"I'm…I'm sorry." The youngling whispered, the words feeling powerless in his mouth.

Knockout regarded him, a rare softness in his face. "Sit this one out, Sides. Please." His voice was almost pleading. Sideswipe nodded numbly, hardly realizing what he was doing. His guardian shot him the slightest of smiles. He patted Sideswipe's shoulder guard as he left—a gesture of affection the youngling hardly ever saw. Sideswipe watched as his guardian sped away after the others. He gulped past the lump forming in his throat.

And he prayed. He wasn't even sure for what, but he prayed.


	4. Into Darkness

**First of all, I'd like to apologize for making you guys wait over a month for such a short chapter. I'd like to say I got busy with real life, but the truth is, I just got lazy with writing. This has made me wonder if I should change my approach to the stories I currently have up. I'm currently alternating between "Yin and Yang" and "Darkened Sparks," but it might go faster if I focused on one or the other.  
There's a poll up on my profile for you to voice your opinion. Should I keep alternating, or focus on one story?**

 **PS: Big thanks to my friend journal129 for helping me get past my writer's funk. You're awesome, journal!**

* * *

To Bumblebee, the worst part of a battle wasn't the combat. It wasn't the aftermath, either. It was _getting_ there that was the problem. Driving or sitting in a carrier shuttle with other troops, just waiting to arrive. The fear of the impending battle made conversation difficult, and in the silence, imaginations ran wild. Battle was brutal, but there wasn't any chance for anxiety when you were fighting for your life. It was the calm before the storm that was truly intolerable.

As Bumblebee raced down the road, he was reminded of those long, tension-filled hours. Knockout and Drift flanked him. Neither one spoke. That was normal for the laconic bounty hunter, but seeing Knockout go so long without a snarky comment was unsettling. It proved the gravity of the situation.

 _Airachnid…_ The name made gall rise in his tanks. The depraved femme had caused untold sorrows for his team—his family—during the war. In his mind, she was as hated a foe as Starscream. He would take no chances with this capture.

"We're almost at the last known coordinates." Bumblebee announced, breaking the silence at last. He slowed to a stop and transformed. His entourage followed suit. Time to go off-road.

"Should we separate to track her?" Drift inquired.

Knockout interjected before Bumblebee could reply. "We're not splitting up. That's suicide."

"It'd be better for us to stay together," Bumblebee agreed. "I'll take point—you two watch around and above."

"Above?" Drift raised an optic ridge.

"Unless you want her to pounce on us from a treetop, then yes." Bumblebee drew his Decepticon Hunter and ventured into the woods. The crunch of the undergrowth beneath their feet seemed unnaturally loud. Bumblebee kept one optic on his GPS unit and one on the scene ahead.

"I see webbing," Knockout said quietly. Bumblebee saw it too—a few globs stuck to the trees. More intriguing, though, were the tracks on the ground.

"Someone else was here," he observed, kneeling down to examine the ground. "Clampdown, I'd guess, from the shape and pattern of the tracks."

"May he rest in peace." Knockout said somberly. Bumblebee, however, wasn't so sure of Clampdown's fate.

"There's no energon on the ground." The scout muttered. "And there are tracks leading away. It looks like there was a struggle here, but Clampdown walked away from it." He followed the the pede-marks back to the stasis pod. "Underbite was definitely here. Steeljaw too, I'd guess. They both hightailed it out of here in vehicle mode. Clampdown tried to do the same, but Airachnid must have injured him somehow, because he changed to robot mode."

"That's great, and we're all very impressed by your tracking skills. But none of this tells us where Airachnid is now." Knockout said pointedly.

"Well, according to my 'impressive' tracking skills…she went that way." Bee pointed. "She and Clampdown both."

"That's the direction of our base," Drift observed.

"Also the direction of the cave system we found Nightstrike in." Bumblebee murmured thoughtfully. "Let's go."

The tracks led them to the mouth of a cave. Its gaping maw reminded Bumblebee uncomfortably of a beast waiting to devour them.

"Of course they had to go in there…" The former scout muttered as they entered.

"Airachnid has night vision," Knockout said. "Hiding here gives her an advantage."

 _And outs us at a disadvantage,_ Bumblebee thought. They'd need their headlights to see down here, which would make them more visible in the gloom. Easier targets. He frowned, wondering how to proceed.

"Perhaps we should fall back for now," Drift suggested, voicing Bumblebee's own doubts. "It would be wise to strategize for this new development."

"We're not leaving." Knockout hissed."Airachnid can't be allowed to run free any longer. We have to catch her _now_ , before she can create any more Terrorcons!"

And that was the flip side of the coin. Bumblebee gritted his teeth. There was too much at stake—too much risk and too little information. Slag, he hated uncertainty. He almost wished Airachnid would just attack them now so they could get it over with.

Something brushed against his leg—barely perceptible, but being on edge as he was, he noticed. Bumblebee looked down. No sign of any obstacle.

"Why did you stop?" Knockout demanded. Bumblebee held up a hand to quiet him. At the movement, the light from his headlights danced across the ground. A line of silver flashed in the air at Bumblebee's feet for a split second. That was all it took for him to realize what he'd touched. A gossamer thread—like a spider's. A chill ran down his spine, and it had nothing to do with the temperature.

As if to confirm his suspicions, the ground below them trembled suddenly. The others jumped, eyeing the floor with alarm.

"What—" Drift's query was cut off as Bumblebee shoved him and Knockout back towards the entrance.

"I hit an alarm wire! It's a trap!" The scout cried, pushing them in front of him. He cursed his absentmindedness. How could he have been stupid enough to forget that Airachnid could tunnel?!

The floor trembled again, harder this time, and suddenly there was a gaping hole in place of solid ground. Before any of them could react, they dropped into the pit and were swallowed by the darkness.


	5. Poetic Justice

**A/N: After a month's wait...the next chapter! Again, thanks to journal129 for her help with writing this. The last line is all hers.  
Please leave a review-they make me happy.**

* * *

Sideswipe paced around the junkyard antsily. Every now and then he snuck a glance at the command center, where Fix-it worked in silence. The minicon had been far too quiet since the team left. Sideswipe never really listened to his chatter, but the white noise was a distraction he would have welcomed right now.

"Any word from them yet?" The youngling asked, trying to keep the worry out of his voice.

"For the tenth time, no." Fix-it replied testily. "Bumblebee said in his last transmission that they were going underground and might be unable to get a signal."

"Then how are we supposed to know if they get into trouble?!" Sideswipe cried.

"He promised to check in within thirty minutes. They should be calling any moment now." Fix-it resumed his typing, and Sideswipe resumed his pacing. He hated waiting. It made him feel helpless. Part of him itched to go after Bee and the others, but he couldn't forget the look on his guardian's face as he left. He knew how much Breakdown had meant to Knockout, and this Airachnid femme had killed him. He could understand why Knockout wanted him to stay away from her.

He understood it, but he didn't have to like it.

The control console beeped just then, making him jump. "Incoming message!" Fix-it yelled. He flipped the speakers on as Sideswipe hurried over. Static hissed over the line. The two mechs waited anxiously.

"Fix-it…" Drift's voice finally crackled through the static. It sounded strained, as if it was an effort for Drift to speak at all. "I need a groundbridge…can you find my location?"

"Just a second." Fix-it hastily tracked the signal. He frowned as Drift's spark signature appeared onscreen. "Are the others with you? I'm not picking up their signals."

"No…" Drift groaned. Sideswipe's spark leaped out of his chest.

"What do you mean they're not with you?! Where are they?!"

"Sideswipe, quiet!" Fix-it snapped with unusual ire. "I'm opening the groundbridge now, Drift."

The metal arch lit up, the portal forming in the center. After a moment, Drift fell through the green vortex, clutching his side. Sideswipe immediately noticed the blue liquid staining his fingers. The bounty hunter struggled to sit up while his teammates ran over.

"What happened, Drift? Where's Knockout?" Sideswipe demanded, fighting to keep his voice steady.

Drift panted, hissing in pain. "Airachnid…set a trap. We followed her underground…floor collapsed. I managed to catch myself… but the others fell. Don't know what happened to them…"

Sideswipe could barely hear him over the pounding of his spark. He moved for the still-open groundbridge. "I'm going after them."

"No!" Fix-it zipped in front of him. "You can't go a scone—a dome—alone! It's too dangerous!"

"I don't care! Bee and Knockout could be hurt! They could be dying! I can't just sit here and do nothing!" Sideswipe growled. He prayed no one noticed the tears forming in his optics.

Fix-it bit his lip. He looked back at the groundbridge, clearly torn. "We need to gather the others first, and make a plan—"

"We don't have time for a plan!"

"There is always time for a plan." Drift barked. His military bearing had returned enough to shut the youngling up. "Rushing into peril unprepared will only put everyone in greater danger. We must convene with the rest of the team before we take action."

Sideswipe looked hopelessly at the groundbridge. Somewhere through that portal, his guardian was in trouble. If they couldn't reach him in time…he'd never forgive himself.

* * *

The first thing Bumblebee noticed as he awoke was the pounding headache. He grimaced. As his systems sluggishly booted up, an odd warning popped up on his HUD. Low fuel? He's topped off before they'd left the base—his tanks should be full. Maybe he'd punctured something in the fall—

The fall!

Bumblebee's optics snapped online. His headlights were still on—dim, but bright enough that he could see his surroundings. Knockout was a few yards away from him, his optics dark. He was strung up from the ceiling in a cocoon of webbing. Looking up at himself, Bumblebee saw that he was similarly restrained. Drift was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Airachnid. That worried him—she loved to gloat over his captives. Where was she hiding? He twisted to try and see the rest of the cavern. The rock was freshly cut—Airachnid had probably drilled it out herself. A strangely-colored boulder sat in the corner. Bumblebee squinted. No, wait, that wasn't a boulder. Boulders weren't made of metal, and they didn't tremble.

"Clampdown?"

A pair of optics rose on stalks from the "boulder." The Decepticon uncurled slightly from his fetal position, though he didn't look any less terrified. His optics were still crimson, indicating that he wasn't a Terrorcon—not yet, anyway.

"Help get us down!" Bee pled in a loud whisper. "Quick, before Airachnid gets back!"

Clampdown shook his helm. "That femme's crazy. She'll kill me if I help ya."

"She'll kill you anyway!" Bumblebee hissed. "If you let us down, we'll protect you. We'll put her back in prison and she'll never hurt anyone again!"

"Don't make promises you can't keep." The lilting voice made Bee's energon freeze. He looked up to see violet optics glinting from a crevice in the ceiling. Like a grotesque spider, the femme maneuvered herself out of the crack, her talons clinking on the stone. Bumblebee noticed with horror that her mouth was stained with blue. That's why his energon levels were so low. Had she infected them already?!

Airachnid noticed his gaze. She leered at him and slowly licked the energon from her lips. "I had a little snack while I waited for you to wake up. Don't worry; I didn't bite. There are other ways to get energon."

That small relief didn't ease Bumblebee's nerves much. Why were they still alive at all? Why hadn't she just drained them and been done with it? "What do you want, Airachnid?"

"I don't like your tone, Bumblebee. Didn't Optimus teach you any manners?"

"Not where sparkless glitches are concerned," a hoarse voice whispered.

"Knockout!" Airachnid spun to smile at the medic, who was glaring daggers at her. "So good of you to join us! I was afraid I'd made you _break down_."

Knockout responded by spitting in her face. The femme flinched back, yelping in surprise. She raked her claws across the medic's face, leaving a row of bleeding gashes. She glowered at Knockout as he bit back a cry of pain.

"I never liked you, medic." Airachnid spat. "Especially not since you caused my…'condition.' It's such poetic justice that you'll meet your end as a meal." She licked the energon from her fingertips, her optics brightening as she tasted it.

"If all you wanted was to eat, you could have killed us already." Bumblebee countered. "Why are we still alive?"

"You won't be for long, if that's any consolation." The femme regained her composure. "If you were the only bots on the planet, you'd be dead by now, but my informant—"She smiled at Clampdown, who cringed under her gaze. "—tells me you have friends."

Bumblebee didn't like where this was going. "What…what does that have to do with anything?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Airachnid leered at him. "You're _bait_."

Bumblebee met her gaze defiantly, fighting to hide the sinking in his spark. "If you think my team's just going to waltz into your web, think again. They're smarter than that."

"Really? Two teenagers, a minicon, and an intelligence-challenged Dinobot?" Airachnid laughed. "I think I can handle your friends."

She traced a finger along Bumblebee's jawline. It burned when she touched him—acid. Bumblebee gritted his teeth as his metal hissed and steamed. "Your team will step into my parlor just like you did. I'll let you watch as I suck them dry, one by one, and you—" She tapped his forehead. "I'll save you for last."

"Leave the others alone!" Knockout growled. He struggled against his bindings. "Don't touch them!"

"Don't tell me the Autobots have work off on you, Knockout. Loyalty was never your strong suit." Airachnid smirked. "Your old partner could attest to that."

"You're sick!" Knockout spat. "Sick and twisted! Soundwave should have killed you when he had the chance!"

"Look who's talking." Airachnid snapped back, humor gone. "This is your own fault, Knockout. I know that little experiment that escaped was your doing. _You_ turned me into this—this _abomination_!" She bent down to optic level, her breath washing over him, heavy with the stench of stale energon. "But that's all right. It just gives me an excuse to have a little fun before I kill you."

She gripped Knockout's face, pulling him close as if to kiss him. Her optics burned with an eerie light as she gave him a cold smile. "You're on _my_ dissection table now."


	6. Snared

**Co-written with journal129, my good friend and writing pal. Go read some of her stuff when you're done with this chapter.**  
 **I was too lazy to proofread, so I apologize in advance for any typos.**

* * *

The crimson Lamborghini tore down the road, followed closely by a police Jeep hauling a flatbed-full of Dinobot. After an eternity, they reached the mouth of a cave system—the same system where Nightstrike had taken refuge. If Drift was right, it now housed something far more deadly.  
Sideswipe transformed before he'd even stopped fully. "Knockout?! Bumblebee?!"

Strongarm unhitched herself from Grimlock's trailer and examined the ground. "Their tracks are here—three sets going in, but only one coming out."

That didn't tell them anything they didn't already know, Sideswipe thought bitterly. He was about to say as much, when a scuttling sound from inside the cave reached his audials. He spun around, sword drawn for a fight. But the Stout figure running out of the cave was quite clearly not Airachnid.

"Autobots! Thank Primus!" Clampdown gasped, scurrying as fast as his tiny legs could carry him.

Sideswipe gaped. What was the Decepticon doing here? He was aligned with Steeljaw, not Airachnid. Grimlock stepped forward, cracking his knuckles."I could use some punchin'," he remarked, grinning wickedly at the crab-like mech.

Clampdown held up his claws in surrender. He was trembling, Sideswipe noticed. "I ain't here to fight! I just want to get away from that crazy spider-lady!"

"Spider lady?" Sideswipe's spark quickened. He bent to look Clampdown in the optic. "A Decepticon femme with a spider alt-mode?"

'Yeah! She's insane; she wants to eat me! And the other mechs she's got down there!"

 _Other mechs_. So they were alive. And in very unfriendly hands. "All right—I'll make you a deal. You like deals, right?"

Clampdown nodded vigorously. "As long as I get away from her."

"Tell me what kind of traps Airachnid's got laid for us and where she's keeping Bumblebee and Knockout. If you do that, I'll let you go." Sideswipe said.

"What?!" Strongarm cried. "We can't let him go! That violates so many rules, I can't even count them all!"

. "We have more important things to worry about right now!" Sideswipe snapped. "Do you want to save Bumblebee or not?"

Strongarm bit her lip, her dedication to protocol waging an inner war with her concern. "…Fine."

Clampdown nodded eagerly. "I'll take the deal. If ya go down this tunnel, there's a pit in the ground. She dug out a lair down there—that's where your boss and his friend are strung up. There's tripwires everywhere, so you gotta be careful."

"Is she there right now?" Sideswipe asked.

"Yeah, but she's sleepin'. That's how I got away."

"Got it. Thanks for the info." With one swift movement, Sideswipe whisked a pair of stasis cuffs from his subspace and snapped them around Clampdown's claws.

"Hey!" The Decepticon struggled against the bonds. "You said you'd let me go!"

"Yes—let you go back to the base with us, where there's lots of cozy stasis pods and no cannibal spider femmes." Sideswipe smirked at him. "Or you can come help us fight her. Your choice."

Clampdown scowled, but a glance down the darkened tunnel helped his decision. "I ain't goin' back in there."

"Thought so." Sideswipe fastened one end of the stasis cuffs around a nearby tree and stood up. "Don't move. We'll be right back."

They left the sulking Decepticon and entered the cave. Sideswipe fought the panic that always assailed him in tight spaces. There was no time for claustrophobia right now. He needed to stay calm.

"Stop!" Strongarm whispered as their headlights lit up a pit in the ground. Sideswipe peered over the edge. His headlights couldn't quite reach the bottom. He tossed a rock down the hole; within a few seconds, the clatter echoed back up to them.

"About fifty feet down, by the sound of it." He guessed. "We could jump that, right?"

"Or we could use our heads." Strongarm countered. She pulled out her Decepticon Hunter. "Grappling hook!"

The weapon glowed and formed into the specified tool. Sideswipe had to admit, that was good thinking. Not that he'd tell Strongarm that. She fired the hook into the ceiling and tested its hold. "It should take our weight."

"Want me to go first?' Grimlock punched his fists together. Sideswipe shook his helm.

"I'll go first. Come down when I give the okay—or when I start screaming." Sideswipe took the grappling rope from Strongarm. _Here goes,_ he thought as he leapt into the pit. He quickly rappelled to the bottom. Another tunnel, smaller than the one above, ran perpendicular to the pit. He didn't notice any tripwires…but there were some blue smears on the stone. Sideswipe grimaced.

"It looks clear," he radioed to his teammates. The grappling hook shot back up as soon as he released it, and Strongarm soon joined him on the bottom.

"Cannonball!" Grimlock shouted as he plummeted to the floor of the pit.

"Grim! Not so loud!" Strongarm hissed. The Dinobot looked abashed. He made his best effort to be stealthy as they crept down the tunnel. Sideswipe was growing increasingly paranoid at the lack of traps. Clampdown had said there were tripwires all over the place. Why hadn't they found any?

No sooner had the question crossed his mind than the ceiling creaked ominously. Reflexes kicked in before the threat even fully registered—the teens hit the ground and Grimlock shielded them just as the rock above them came down. The Dinobot grunted under the weight, but he managed to keep the ceiling up and his teammates got to their feet.

"Grim!" Sideswipe moved to help him, but froze as soft laughter reached his audials. A dark figure detached itself from the shadows ahead—a curvaceous femme with burning violet optics.

"Like moths to a flame." She said with a sneer. Sideswipe took a fighting stance, jabbing his sword at her.

"Where's Knockout and Bee?!" He demanded.

"Oh, they're hanging around. You'll see them shortly." With blinding speed, Airachnid shot streams of webbing from her hands. Sideswipe scarcely evaded it. Strongarm wasn't as quick—the sticky threads pinned her foot to the ground. She quickly sliced through them with her Decepticon Hunter.

"Sideswipe, go save Bumblebee! I'll hold her off!" She barked. Sideswipe hesitated to go; Airachnid was a killing machine, and with Grimlock stuck bracing the ceiling, she would be on her own against the spider. But his concern for Knockout won out. He darted down the tunnel, the sounds of the fight echoing after him. Further ahead, light flickered through a hole in the ground. It was faint, but it was something. Sideswipe jumped down, landing in a crouch on the floor of a larger chamber.

"Sideswipe?" Bumblebee croaked. He and Knockout were hanging from the ceiling, wrapped up like mummies. Bumblebee didn't look too good, but Knockout—

"No!" Sideswipe ran to his guardian's side. He cupped Knockout's face in his hands, careful of the gouges that marred it. Lacerations covered every inch of exposed metal on his body. What wasn't cut up was corroded, as if Knockout had been burned with acid. His optics were black; he didn't respond at all as Sideswipe checked frantically for signs of life. "Is he—?"

"He's alive. I think." Bumblebee said grimly. "But we need to get him to Fix-it ASAP."

"R-right…" With trembling hands, Sideswipe cut Knockout and Bumblebee free of their bindings as he tried to comm the minicon. "Fixit, we need a groundbridge at my location now! Knockout's hurt!"

Hissing static was the only response. Sideswipe snarled in frustration—they were down too deep for the comm signals to get out. He'd have to carry Knockout to the surface, and fast. Bumblebee tried to stand and stumbled. He sank back to his knees, looking exhausted. "I can't walk…get Knokcout to safety. Come back for me later."

"No way. No bot gets left behind." Sideswipe slung Knockout over his shoulders and offered his hand to Bumblebee. "C'mon. We're all getting out of here."

"Leaving so soon?"

The Autobots stared in horror as the speaker dropped from the ceiling—a disheveled and hungry-looking Airachnid, blocking their only avenue of escape. She grinned at her prey, running her tongue over her lips in anticipation. "Don't leave now; the fun's just getting started."


	7. The Night Is Darkest

**REALLY short chapter this time. Might rewrite later. Please review.**  
 **As always, thanks to journal129 for co-writing.**

* * *

Of all the jams they'd been in, this had to be the worst. Grimlock and Strongarm had apparently been beaten, Bumblebee was too drained to even stand, Knockout looked like death warmed over, and there was no way to call for a groundbridge back to base. Which left Sideswipe to face an infectious vampire femme all by himself.

This day couldn't get any better.

"All right, Airachnid." Sideswipe set Knockout down and drew his sword. "You can move, or I'll _make_ you move. Either way, we're leaving."

"I think not," the femme replied. With that, she pounced. Bumblebee dragged Knockout's prone form out of the way as the two warriors clashed. Sideswipe fought furiously. But he quickly realized her was outmatched. Airachnid was lightning fast, and she had four times as many limbs to strike with. It was taking all he had just to parry her attacks. He hissed as he missed one and her talon sliced across his arm.

"You're not bad for a sparkling," Airachnid purred without slowing her onslaught. "Who taught you?"

Sideswipe gritted his teeth. "My guardian did. And he taught me _this_ , too." He kneed her in the abdomen. She faltered as she caught her breath. Sideswipe seized the opening and swung at her helm. She blocked the attack, but the blade sliced through the leg she was shielding herself with. Airachnid shrieked and jumped back, clutching the bleeding stump. Sideswipe smirked triumphantly. His victory was short-lived, however. With a snarl, Airachnid fired twin streams of webbing. The sticky gunk ensnared his sword. She yanked it from his grip and tossed it across the chamber. It clattered against the ground, the sound like a death knell for its owner. She charged and caught Sideswipe by the throat. He choked as she squeezed.

"I'm going to enjoy this," she hissed, pinning him against a wall. That was her mistake. With the stone bracing him, Sideswipe drew up his legs and kicked with all his might, knocking the femme off him. He dropped from her grasp and hastily rolled away, searching for a weapon. His Decepticon Hunter was still across the room—useless. But a few feet away, Airachnid's severed claw was still on the floor. Its wicked-sharp edge gleamed.

Sideswipe dove for the claw as Airachnid whirled around. Her jaw had split open. A cable snaked from her mouth, contorting in the air. She gave a bestial snarl as she lunged at him. All pretense of control was gone—her optics burned with a feral flame as she leapt. Sideswipe stabbed the claw upward, praying he hit something.

A second later, her snarl became a gurgle. The feral light dimmed as she stared dumbfoundedly at the talon piercing her spark chamber. Sideswipe panted. Through the haze of adrenaline clouding his processor, one phrase came to mind.

"Go to the Pit," he growled, and gave the claw a sharp twist. Airachnid gasped as her spark shattered. She slumped lifelessly to the ground, optics flickering once before darkening forever. Sideswipe released the claw, hands trembling.

He'd killed her.

He'd _killed_ her.

"Primus…" Sideswipe's voice quavered. He scrambled away from the body, tanks churning.

"Sideswipe?" Bumblebee interrupted the youngling's downward spiral. "We still have to get out, and Knockout needs a medic. I need your help."

"R-right." Sideswipe shook off his growing hysteria. He couldn't panic right now. The team needed him. He quickly helped Bumblebee to his feet, giving him the Decepticon Hunter to use as a cane. Bumblebee hobbled off to find Grimlock and Strongarm. Sideswipe gingerly picked up his guardian. Knockout groaned softly as he was moved.

"Sides…?"

"I'm here, Knockout. It's okay—just hang in there."

Knockout's optics flickered as he struggled to focus. "Mein leben…"

"Just take it easy."

"Mein leben, I…love…you."

Sideswipe froze. Knockout had _never_ said those words before—not ever. That kind of openness wasn't his style. If he was getting mushy now, he was either delirious, or—or he thought he wasn't going to make it.

"S-shut up," Sideswipe gulped. "Don't give up. You're going to make it!"

Knockout let out another moan and fell silent. His optics dimmed to black. Sideswipe's spark stopped.

"Stay awake, Knockout!" He shook his guardian, desperate to evoke some sign of life. "Stay with me! Knockout—dad!"

He hadn't meant to use the human term—it had just slipped out. Sideswipe didn't even care. He cradled his guardian close, tears forming in his optics.

"Please, dad…don't leave me."


	8. Just Before The Dawn

Night had fallen, and the junkyard was quiet after the tumult earlier. Thankfully, neither Grimlock nor Strongarm had been bitten, and both were fine after a quick de-webbing. Grimlock let the cavern collapse behind them, sealing Airachnid's corpse in a tomb of her own making. With any luck, it would stay sealed. When they trouped out of the cave, they discovered Clampdown had escaped, leaving behind only a hewn-down tree. No one cared enough to go after him. They had more important things to worry about.

Now Sideswipe sat by Knockout's berth, standing watch over his motionless form. Although Fix-it had assured him that his guardian would be fine, he wouldn't rest until Knockout woke up. He rubbed his optics. The events of the day had exhausted him, but he wouldn't succumb to sleep. And not just because of his worry. After what he'd done underground, he feared the dreams that might await him.

"Sideswipe?" Strongarm's voice startled him, despite its softness. He hadn't even noticed her approach.

"How…how are you holding up?" She asked, more gentle than usual. Sideswipe gulped. He stared at his hands, imagining them stained with the blue glow of energon.

"I killed her," he whispered.

"You had no choice. When all other optins have been exhausted, lethal force is authorized."

"Easy for you to say." He spat with more venom than he'd intended. "You ever killed anyone, "cadet?" You ever seen their optics go black as you shatter their spark? Because if you haven't, you can't understand!"

Strongarm flinched back from his vitriol. Sideswipe instantly regretted snapping at her, but he had no energy for apologies. He nestled his head in his arms as if to hice from the world "Just leave me alone."

Strongarm left without another word. _Probably the only time she's ever done what I told her_ , Sideswipe thought bitterly. He wished none of this had happened. He hated Steeljaw for releasing the spider, he hated Airachnid for hurting his friends and for continuing to torment him even now that she was dead. And he hated himself. More than hate—he _loathed_ himself for extinguishing a spark, no matter how twisted that spark had been.

In the midst of his self-deprecation, a hand settled on his head. He froze as it stroked his helm-ridges comfortingly.

"Dad?" He looked up and saw dim red optics gazing back at him.

Knockout smiled tiredly. "Hello, mein leben."

"Dad!" Knockout grunted as Sideswipe engulfed him in a bear hug.

"Ow—easy, Sides. I'm not in top shape right now."

"Sorry, sorry." Sideswipe hastily sat back, but still gripped Knockout's hand. "How do you feel?"

"Like slag." Knockout eyed his ruined paint with disgust. "What about you? Are you all right?"

Sideswipe laughed dryly. "I'm not the one who got captured by a psycho spider."

"I suppose not." Knockout looked around. "Since we're back at base and I'm still in one piece, I assume you managed to beat her."

The smile melted off Sideswipe's face. He glanced away, no longer able to look his guardian in the optic. "She's…she's dead."

"Good riddance," Knockout hissed."Who killed her? I should congratulate—" He suddenly noticed Sideswipe's darkened demeanor and made the connection. His expression softened. "Oh, Sides…"

"Do you remember it? The first time you killed someone?" Sideswipe asked without looking at him. Knockout was silent for a long moment.

"It was before the war," he said finally, a distant look in his optics. "I don't think I was much older than you. My youngling unit had just been shipped out of the care center to the Kalis mines."

Sideswipe blinked in surprise. "You were a miner?"

"I was supposed to be. Fate intervened. There was a medic of sorts at the mines in Kalis and he took me as his apprentice as soon as I arrived. Said I had good hands."He wiggled the slim digits, a ghost of a smile appearing and vanishing again in an instant. "The day after I arrived, there was mining accident. One of the injured mechs had a broken spinal strut. We didn't have the parts or the skills to fix him. Steelcharger, my mentor, was busy with another patient, so he told me to—" Knockout hesitated, as if the words pained him. "-To put him out of his misery."

Sideswipe gaped at his guardian. "What did you do...? I mean, after...?"

"I didn't get much time to dwell on it. There was work to be done. But once the patients were taken care of, Steelcharger took me aside. He told me that in the mines, sometimes the only help we could give was a quick offlining. It wasn't easy, and it wasn't pretty, but it was the best we could do. And that's all anyone could ask of us."

Sideswipe sighed hopelessly. "That's not gonna help much…"

"Mein leben." Knokcout reached out, inviting him in for an embrace. Sideswipe hesitated only briefly before accepting it. He tucked his face against Knockout's chestplates like he used to do when he had nightmares. Only this time, he couldn't wake up from the nightmare. Knockout rubbed his back soothingly. "I wish I could say it'll stop bothering you at some point. But the truth is, it probably won't. It'll stick with you for the rest of your life. The trick is to not let it consume you."

"How...?"

"Focus on the present, the here and now. Focus on the future you have ahead of you, and your goals and dreams. Let the past stay in the past." Knockout hugged him tighter. "And come to me when you have trouble. I'm here for you."

Sideswipe vented deeply. At some point he'd started crying. He didn't try to hold back the tears; it was a relief to let them out. "…Thanks, Dad."

Knockout hummed in acknowledgement. He would help Sideswipe through this darkness and they'd both come out of it stronger than before. But one more thing needed to be said still.

"…I love you, mein leben."

"Love you too, Dad."

THE END


End file.
